Radek Bonk
| birth_place = Krnov, Czechoslovakia | draft = 3rd overall | draft_year = 1994 | draft_team = Ottawa Senators | career_start = 1993 }} Radek Bonk (born on January 9, 1976) is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga. Playing Career Radek began his hockey career playing for Slezan Opava in the Junior Czech league and for Zlin in the Czech Extraliga. In 1993, he moved to North America with a goal of playing in the NHL. Radek was signed by the Las Vegas Thunder of the International Hockey League (IHL). He became an immediate sensation in the IHL. By the end of Radek's first season of the North American brand of hockey, he had registered 42 goals and 45 assists for 87 points in 76 games. NHL scouts noticed him and Radek found himself at or near the top of all the top prospects lists for the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Given his young age (17 years old at the time), size and ability to quickly adapt to the more physical style of hockey in North America, Radek became a "can't miss" prospect. He was drafted third overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft as the first forward selected. During the 1994-95 NHL lockout, Radek returned to Las Vegas and registered 20 points in 33 games. Radek's first NHL season was somewhat disappointing and he scored only 3 goals and 11 points in 42 games. His progress took some seasoning in his first five years of NHL hockey before he emerged as one of the league's most complete forwards by 1999–2000. Radek went on to play for the Senators for 10 seasons, eventually becoming the team’s #1 center under the tutelage of head coach Jacques Martin. He originally wore number 76 as a member of the Thunder and in his first two seasons in Ottawa. Radek switched to number 14 after new general manager Pierre Gauthier implemented a team rule prohibiting players from wearing "vanity numbers" (that is, numbers higher than the goaltenders). His teammate Alexandre Daigle also switched to number 9 from his traditional 91. Radek's most productive season points-wise was the 2001–02 NHL season when he produced 70 points for the Ottawa Senators. A skilled player, he was often criticized in the Ottawa media for his lack of aggression despite his size. On June 26, 2004 (during the 2004 NHL Entry Draft), Radek was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Los Angeles' third round choice (Shawn Weller). On that very same day, Los Angeles traded him to the Montreal Canadiens with Cristobal Huet in exchange for Mathieu Garon and San Jose's third round choice (Paul Baier. During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Radek signed as a free agent by Trinec in the Czech Republic on September 17, 2004. On January 31, 2005, he signed as a free agent by Zlin. On July 2, 2007, Radek signed as a free agent with the Nashville Predators to a two-year contract. On July 22, 2009 (after playing in 969 games in the NHL), it was announced that he signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to continue his hockey career in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). After playing only seven games into the 2009–10 season, Radek left Yaroslavl to return the Czech Republic with Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Extraliga on October 8, 2009. He posted 17 points in 39 games for the season with Oceláři to earn a two-year contract extension on May 2, 2010. Career Statistics International Statistics Awards & Achievements *1993–94: Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy (IHL Rookie of the Year) International Play }} }} Personal Life Radek is the uncle of Patrik Bartosak who was drafted 146th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He and his wife Jill Sarcen (whom he met while playing for the Ottawa Senators) have four children: sons Oliver Jaroslav & Cameron and daughters Kennedy Grace & Maya. Category:1976 births Category:Ottawa Senators draft picks Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:Nashville Predators players